Narratives "Stories we grow up with - narratives - help form our views of the ways things 'ought' to be."
Kaitlin Farrell and Gianna Seidler
Narrative texts are one of the largest types of book genres because they encompass so many other sub-genres, such as mystery, realistic fiction, and even folk tales. The main purpose of narrative texts is to tell a story. Narratives have a recognizable structure that includes characters, setting, plot, and theme. It's as simple as that. So think about how many narratives you have probably read in your lifetime! This is why it is such an important genre to learn about and teach to our future students.
Characteristics of Narratives:
Tell a story
The purpose of telling the story may vary according to the type of narrative
Have a clear beginning, middle, and end
Four main components: characters, setting, plot, and theme
Plot includes:
Problem
Reaction to the problem
An action
An outcome
Easy to read because they are written in everyday language
Fiction or nonfiction
Children's narratives include many large, vibrant pictures that aid in telling the story
Can be written in first person or third person
Not limited to books
Used in television shows, movies, theatre, and even music
Tips for Teaching Narrative Writing:
Teach the structure of narratives explicitly
Do not assume this knowledge is intuitive
Use a graphic organizer so students will be able to visualize the structure
To avoid unstructured writing that rambles and is lengthy, have students focus on what the problem of the story is, and who has this problem, rather than what the story is about
Have the students read a great deal of narrative texts that model good narrative writing and structure
Use role playing and dramatization to help students with story writing
How Narratives can be Used in the Classroom:
Suitable for all content areas (language arts, social studies, science, mathematics, performing arts)
Not often used in mathematics and science, but can be a great way to draw students' attention to these subjects
Can be used in order to help students make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections
Can be used to teach comprehensive literacy strategies
Supports students vocabulary development
Activity that can be done with narratives
Use a narrative text as a hook to any lesson
Use a narrative during a social studies lesson to portray a historical figure who is of relevance
Use two narratives on the same topic but from different viewpoints when teaching multiple perspectives
Example: Christopher Columbus vs. Native Americans
Examples:
Miss Rumphiusby Barbara Cooney
Characters: Miss Rumphius, Narrator, and Grandfather
Setting: A city by the sea
Plot:
Problem: Miss Rumphius must find a way to make the world more beautiful.
Reaction to the Problem: She is confused about how to do so, as she feels the world is already beautiful.
Action: She travels around the world and moves into a house by the sea.
Outcome: She plants lupine seeds all around her town.
Theme: The smallest deed can make a powerful impact on the world.
Moss, B & Lapp, D. (2010). Teaching new literacies in Grades K-3: Resources for 21st century classrooms. New York: Guilford.
Moss, B & Lapp, D. (2010). Teaching new literacies in Grades 4-6: Resources for 21st century classrooms. New York: Guilford.
Class Book Summaries:
Kaitlin Farrell Citation: Santiago, C. (1998). Home to Medicine Mountain. San Fransisco, CA: Children’s Book Press. Reading Level: 3-5; DRA: 30-34; Guided Reading: N Suggested Literacy Strategy: Summarizing; Since the book follows the general format of a narrative text, students can use a story map (setting, characters, problem, etc.) to help them develop good summarizing skills. Description: This story is about two brothers, Benny Len and Stanley, who are part of a Native American tribe that live in Susanville, California near the beloved Medicine Mountain. It is the 1930s and the two boys are forced to attend a boarding school far away from home in order to shed their Native American customs. The school is rigid, grim, and boring, and it contrasts with everything they have experienced since birth. They are homesick but they cannot afford the price of travelling back home during the summer. Therefore they sneak out and secretly climb on top of a train that takes them back home to Medicine Mountain to be with their family.
Jeanna Calia Book: A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams Citation: William, V. B. (1982). A Chair For My Mother. New York: Greenwillow Books. Description: A Chair for My Mother is about a young girl, her mother and her grandmother. The beginning of the book describes how the girl goes to work with her mother in a diner and how they save their money in a big glass jar. During the story, the reader finds out that the family is saving money to buy a large, soft chair for the mother to rest in when she comes home from a long day at work. The family used to have a chair but they lost it in a house fire, which also destroyed all of their other previous belongings and their home. Soon, their family, neighbors, and friends help them by donating furniture and other necessities- but their home is not a home without a huge comfy chair. Ultimately, the change jar is filled and they are able to buy just the chair they wanted. Reading Level: DRA: 28 Guided Reading: M Suggested Literacy Strategy:Students can use the monitoring, questioning, and repredicting strategy while reading because the book consists of a fairly big climax during the story where the family deals with a tragedy and copes with the aftermath. From the cover of the book, students’ predictions may not even be close to the following outcome of the story. This book can also be used with students to start a discussion of the important things in their lives and how it is important to do things for others.
Jen Levine Book:Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Bloom Citation: Bloom, Judy. (1972). Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. Description:Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is about a boy named Peter who feels as though his little brother gets all the attention from their parents and is able to get away with anything. Peter says that he feels as though he is a “fourth grade nothing.” When Peter is working on a group project for class, his little brother ends up scribbling on part of the project. Peter’s little brother even eats his favorite pet turtle. By the end of the book, Peter’s parents get him his own dog and they let him name it. Reading Level: Guided Reading Level: Q; DRA Level: 40 Suggested Literacy Strategy: Students can use the imaging comprehension strategy for this book. The book does not have any pictures in it, so students can make pictures in their heads while reading this story.
Randee Myers Book: Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar Citation: Sachar, L. (1989). Wayside School is Falling Down. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. Reading Level: DRA: 38; Guided Reading: P Description: In this wacky tale, the students of Wayside Elementary School never know what to expect. On any given day, the students in Mrs. Jewls’ class on the thirtieth floor may learn to tango, disappear on the nonexistent nineteenth floor, be forced to eat Miss Mush’s Mushroom Surprise or find $20,655 in a paper bag on the playground.
Suggested Literacy Strategy: The reading strategy that would benefit students the most while reading a narrative story would be imaging. Imaging is a strategy in which students make a mental picture or a “movie” in their minds to visualize the text. Students will be actively involved and engaged in the text as they picture the crazy events that occur throughout this story as well as in other narratives.
Liz Kalajian Book: Where the Wild Things Are Citation: Sendak, M. ( 1963). Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper & Row. Description: In 1964, Where the Wild Things Are was honored with the Caldecott award. In this story, the mischievous protagonist, Max, gets sent to bed without dinner after misbehaving. Max becomes king of the wild things in this foreign land and eventually realizes that what he really wants is to go home. In a heartwarming ending, Max realizes that there is no point to be in angry with those you love the most. This truly timeless picture captures the essence of a child’s imagination through innovative illustrations and simple text. Reading Level: DRA: 18-20, Guided Reading: J, Grade Level: K-3 Suggested Literacy Strategy: Since there are few words in this book, the readers can use the literacy strategy of finding the main idea within the book to comprehend the overall message. This will also enable them to understand that the main idea of a book can still be important and meaningful even if the book only contains a few sentences due to its creative and stimulating illustrations.
Casey Caruso Book: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister APA Citation: Pfister, M. (1992). The Rainbow Fish. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. Reading Level: DRA= 28, Guided Reading= M Suggested Literacy Strategies: The main idea would be a good strategy to use for this book! By the end of the story, the kids should be able to come up with the “big idea” the author is trying to convey to the reader. Description: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfisher is a story about one of the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean- Rainbow Fish. Rainbow Fish has scales that are sparking silver. Despite Rainbow Fish’s beauty, she does not have any friends and is not happy. After realizing she is extremely lonely, Rainbow Fish decides that giving away some of her scales to the other fish can’t be that bad. Soon after giving away most of her scales, Rainbow Fish only had one scale left. All the fish played together again and liked Rainbow Fish.
Alli Clare Title: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. by Judith Viorst Citation: Viorst, J. (1972). Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. New York, New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Description: This book tells the story of Alexander and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He begins to tell his story as soon as he wakes up until the moment he goes to sleep. Alexander explains all the things that go wrong from not getting a prize in his cereal box to not being Paul’s best friend anymore. Reading Level: Grade: 3.6, DRA: 28, Guided Reading: L Suggested Literacy Strategy: Summarizing. This book has great sequencing and students can learn to take the order of what happens to Alexander and pick some of the important aspects of his story.
Kayleigh Shaw Book: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses Citation: Goble, Paul. (1978). The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. New York: Bradbury Press. Reading Level: DRA- 28; Guided Reading- M; Grade Level- 4.7 Description: This book is about a Native American girl who has a special connection with and love for horses. When a storm comes and drives the horses off, the girl goes with them. She is thrilled to live among the wild horses but is brought back home years later when she is found. Her loving parents allow her to continue living with the horses because they can see how sad she is without them. Every year the girl pays a visit to her parents bringing the gift of a colt with her until one year when she herself turns into a horse and is officially one with the horses. Suggested Literacy Strategy: Imaging would be a great strategy for this book because there are many scenes that would be easy to imagine, such as the storm and the horses all stampeding away. Also, after the girl is taken back home by the hunters, students can predict what they think will happen.
Gianna Seidler Book: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox Citation: Fox, M. (1984). Wilfird Gordon McDonald Partridge. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller Book Publishers. Reading Level: DRA: 24; Guided Reading: K; Grade Level: 3.4 Description: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge tells the story of a young boy, Wilfrid, who lives next door to a retirement home. In this home lives a bunch of unique people, all of whom have become an acquaintance. However, his favorite elderly person is Miss Nancy, such fondness rooted in the fact that she also has four names. One afternoon, Wilfrid overheard people talking about Miss Nancy, claiming that she has lost her memory. After searching and discovering the meaning of a "memory," Wilfrid gathers us his own memories for Miss Nancy to have, as he believes this is the solution to bringing back Miss Nancy's. After seeing and handling Wilfrid's memories, Miss Nancy uses them to find and share her own, resulting in an even stronger bond between the two. Suggested Literacy Strategy: Because this story has a powerful overall message about friendship, main idea would serve as a great literacy strategy to accompany this story. As students work to decode the big idea the author is trying to convey, they will leave the story with a greater appreciation for the value of friendship, as well as its uniqueness, while also learning how to determine such a message.
Erin Jackson Book:Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett Citation: Barrett, J. (1978). Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. New York, NY: Atheneum. Reading Level: DRA: 28, Guided Reading: M, Grade Level: 3.2 Description: Grandpa tells the story of a town called Chewandswallow, where food and drinks fell from the sky. There are no supermarkets because the people just ate whatever came down. Everything is going fine and the people are happy, until the portions of food get larger and fall faster. The townspeople get scared and leave the town of Chewandswallow to escape from the weather. They build a new town and start a new life, where they rely on the supermarket, rather than the weather, for food. Suggested Literacy Strategies: Predicting would be a good comprehension strategy to teach with this book because students can easily use context clues, the pictures, and their prior knowledge to predict what is going to happen to the characters. In addition, students can summarize the important parts in this book. They can particularly focus on the problem and the solution because these features are relatively clear in this story.
Lauren Masco Book: Paul Revere's Ride Citation: Longfollow, H.W. (1990). Paul revere's ride. INew York, NY: Dutton Children's Books. Reading Level: DRA: 38 Guided Reading: P Grade Level: 5.1 Description: This narrative is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic poem broken down and illustrated to be understood by a younger audience. It follows the story of Paul Revere's epic ride to alert the villagers the British are coming. Suggested Literacy Strategy: Summarizing would be an appropriate strategy for this book. At times it can get hard to follow because it is written in a poem format, so it would be good for students to focus on the important moments in the book to summarize. Focusing on summarizing will help them better follow along and grasp the important details.
Megan Garlette Book:Shortcut by Donald Crews Citation: Crews, D. (1992). Shortcut. New York, NY: Green Willow Books. Description:This short children’s book is about a group of children on their way home late in the day. They decide to take a shortcut home along the train tracks. However the children do not know the train schedule at the time. They look and listen for a train, but do not hear one so they continue on the tracks. Suddenly the children hear the train, and must jump into the dangerous grounds around the tracks. No one is hurt, but this frightening experience keeps the children from ever taking that shortcut again. Reading Level: grades K-2, DRA: 18-20, Guided Reading: J Suggested Literacy Strategy: Students can use the theme comprehension strategy with this book. The book is about a very important lesson that the children in the story learn. Students could benefit from the experiences of the character and can learn from those important lessons. It would be easy for students to practice finding mini-themes and combining them with this text.
Margaret Molloy
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By Eric Carle Suggested Grade Level: K-1 Citation: Carle, E. (1991). The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Scholastic. Summary: Eric Carle takes readers through a hungry caterpillar’s journey to becoming a butterfly. The book follows the life cycle of this hungry caterpillar as it eats and eats. Suggested Literacy Strategy: The teacher could use predicting with this book because the students may be aware of what happens to a caterpillar throughout its life (turns into a butterfly).
Christina Marino Title: The Polar Express Citation: Allsburg, C.V., (1985). The Polar Express. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Reading Level: Grade Level: 4.9; DRA: 30-34; Guided Reading Level: N Description: This book describes how a young boy boards train that is leaving for the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He describes his journey to the North Pole and how he gets the chance to meet Santa. Santa gives the boy one of the reindeer’s bell as the first gift of Christmas. However, on the way home the boy looses the bell. On Christmas morning the next day, the boy finds the bell under the tree and he realizes that only those who believe in Santa can hear the sound of the bell. Literacy Strategy: The summary strategy would be great to use for this book. Summarizing can help the students recognize the important events and details of the story.
Cynthia Antunes Title:Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans Citation: Bemelmans, Ludwig. (1998). Madeline. New York, NY: Puffin Books. Reading Level: DRA Level: 24 Guided Reading: K Grade Level Equivalent: 2.9 Description: The book, Madeline, is a classic narrative. Madeline lives in an orphanage with eleven other little girls. One night, Madeline is in pain and taken to the hospital, where the reader finds out she must have her appendix removed. The next day the other eleven girls come to visit Madeline, bringing treats and gifts. Madeline even shows off her “cool” scar. The same night Madeline returns, the other eleven girls are crying because they want their appendix removed so they can get gifts and a cool scar. This book is funny, a classic, and many children can relate to having surgery or being jealous of other children. Also, a discussion can begin about orphans. There are many reasons to read this book to students. Suggested Literacy Strategy: Many comprehension strategies can be used with this book. However, since there are some many topics and concepts in this book, I think the strategy of finding the theme would be the best. As mentioned, students can talk about the issues and topics in the book to find the theme.
Tom Medvecky Title: The Pinballs Citation: Byars, Betsy. The Pinballs (1977). Grade Level: 4-6 Description: The story is about three kids who come together to live at a foster home. They have all been through tough times either being beaten, abandoned or run over by an alcoholic father. They dub themselves the pinballs because all they do is bounce around life. Through the book they become more determined and capable of controlling their lives and no longer being pinballs. Suggested Reading Strategy: This story has a lot of themes and main ideas. They stretch through the entire book and it is easy to lose track. A good strategy for comprehension is main ideas and sub ideas. Keeping track will allow students t ofocus on the big picture.
Jasmine Martin Title: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears Citation: Aardema, V. (1975). Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. Reading Level: DRA:30-34; Guided Reading: N Description: A retelling of a native African tale. A mosquito causes a chain reaction that ends in a baby owl getting killed. The Lion, King of the jungle questions various animals in the jungle about what happened only to end up back at the mosquito. Everyone wants the mosquito to be punished, near by in hiding, the mosquito hears everything and leaves the jungle, only to get swatted by a person for buzzing in his ear. Suggested Reading Strategy: Predicting is a good strategy to use for this book. The story has a similar pattern throughout the book so students should be able to make good predictions of what will happen next.
Debra Szubrowski Title: Mail Harry to the Moon Citation: Harris, Robie H. (2008) Mail Harry to the Moon. New York: Little, Brown and Company. Reading Level: DRA: 12, Guided Reading:G Description: This narrative is about a boy who is jealous of his new baby brother Harry because he gets a lot of attention. The boy gets mad because Harry took a bite out of his banana, chewed on his toy gorilla, sat on grandma’s lap etc. Every time Harry makes him mad, the boy wants to get rid of him some way. He wanted to flush Harry down the toilet, put him in a zoo or mail him to the moon. After he wished to mail Harry to the moon, Harry went missing. The boy realized this and eventually began to miss Harry. He went to the moon to bring him back. Suggested Comprehension Strategy: Theme would be a good strategy to use for this book because it contains a key message or moral. Students could think about common ideas and sub themes and combine them to find the main message.
Book:Curious George
Citation: Ray, H.A. (1969). Curious George. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Reading Level: DRA 24. Guided Reading K Description: This book is about whenm Goerge si first captured by the man with a yellow hat and taken to the zoo. He gets into a whole bunch of trouble and the fire department even has to come save him. Suggested Reading Strategy: For this book I would use the prediction or summarizing comprehension strategies. There’s a really good story line with lots of problems and adventures that students could summarize. Also since George gets into so much trouble, students could try to predict what mess he’s going to get into next.
"Stories we grow up with - narratives - help form our views of the ways things 'ought' to be."
Kaitlin Farrell and Gianna Seidler
Narrative texts are one of the largest types of book genres because they encompass so many other sub-genres, such as mystery, realistic fiction, and even folk tales. The main purpose of narrative texts is to tell a story. Narratives have a recognizable structure that includes characters, setting, plot, and theme. It's as simple as that. So think about how many narratives you have probably read in your lifetime! This is why it is such an important genre to learn about and teach to our future students.
Characteristics of Narratives:
Tips for Teaching Narrative Writing:
How Narratives can be Used in the Classroom:
Examples:
List of Possible Books and Authors to Explore:
Common Graphic Organizers:
Citations:
Class Book Summaries:
Kaitlin Farrell
Citation: Santiago, C. (1998). Home to Medicine Mountain. San Fransisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.
Reading Level: 3-5; DRA: 30-34; Guided Reading: N
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Summarizing; Since the book follows the general format of a narrative text, students can use a story map (setting, characters, problem, etc.) to help them develop good summarizing skills.
Description: This story is about two brothers, Benny Len and Stanley, who are part of a Native American tribe that live in Susanville, California near the beloved Medicine Mountain. It is the 1930s and the two boys are forced to attend a boarding school far away from home in order to shed their Native American customs. The school is rigid, grim, and boring, and it contrasts with everything they have experienced since birth. They are homesick but they cannot afford the price of travelling back home during the summer. Therefore they sneak out and secretly climb on top of a train that takes them back home to Medicine Mountain to be with their family.
Jeanna Calia
Book: A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
Citation: William, V. B. (1982). A Chair For My Mother. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Description: A Chair for My Mother is about a young girl, her mother and her grandmother. The beginning of the book describes how the girl goes to work with her mother in a diner and how they save their money in a big glass jar. During the story, the reader finds out that the family is saving money to buy a large, soft chair for the mother to rest in when she comes home from a long day at work. The family used to have a chair but they lost it in a house fire, which also destroyed all of their other previous belongings and their home. Soon, their family, neighbors, and friends help them by donating furniture and other necessities- but their home is not a home without a huge comfy chair. Ultimately, the change jar is filled and they are able to buy just the chair they wanted.
Reading Level: DRA: 28 Guided Reading: M
Suggested Literacy Strategy:Students can use the monitoring, questioning, and repredicting strategy while reading because the book consists of a fairly big climax during the story where the family deals with a tragedy and copes with the aftermath. From the cover of the book, students’ predictions may not even be close to the following outcome of the story. This book can also be used with students to start a discussion of the important things in their lives and how it is important to do things for others.
Jen Levine
Book: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Bloom
Citation: Bloom, Judy. (1972). Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books.
Description: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is about a boy named Peter who feels as though his little brother gets all the attention from their parents and is able to get away with anything. Peter says that he feels as though he is a “fourth grade nothing.” When Peter is working on a group project for class, his little brother ends up scribbling on part of the project. Peter’s little brother even eats his favorite pet turtle. By the end of the book, Peter’s parents get him his own dog and they let him name it.
Reading Level: Guided Reading Level: Q; DRA Level: 40
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Students can use the imaging comprehension strategy for this book. The book does not have any pictures in it, so students can make pictures in their heads while reading this story.
Randee Myers
Book: Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar
Citation: Sachar, L. (1989). Wayside School is Falling Down. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.
Reading Level: DRA: 38; Guided Reading: P
Description: In this wacky tale, the students of Wayside Elementary School never know what to expect. On any given day, the students in Mrs. Jewls’ class on the thirtieth floor may learn to tango, disappear on the nonexistent nineteenth floor, be forced to eat Miss Mush’s Mushroom Surprise or find $20,655 in a paper bag on the playground.
Suggested Literacy Strategy: The reading strategy that would benefit students the most while reading a narrative story would be imaging. Imaging is a strategy in which students make a mental picture or a “movie” in their minds to visualize the text. Students will be actively involved and engaged in the text as they picture the crazy events that occur throughout this story as well as in other narratives.
Liz Kalajian
Book: Where the Wild Things Are
Citation: Sendak, M. ( 1963). Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper & Row.
Description: In 1964, Where the Wild Things Are was honored with the Caldecott award. In this story, the mischievous protagonist, Max, gets sent to bed without dinner after misbehaving. Max becomes king of the wild things in this foreign land and eventually realizes that what he really wants is to go home. In a heartwarming ending, Max realizes that there is no point to be in angry with those you love the most. This truly timeless picture captures the essence of a child’s imagination through innovative illustrations and simple text.
Reading Level: DRA: 18-20, Guided Reading: J, Grade Level: K-3
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Since there are few words in this book, the readers can use the literacy strategy of finding the main idea within the book to comprehend the overall message. This will also enable them to understand that the main idea of a book can still be important and meaningful even if the book only contains a few sentences due to its creative and stimulating illustrations.
Casey Caruso
Book: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
APA Citation: Pfister, M. (1992). The Rainbow Fish. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Reading Level: DRA= 28, Guided Reading= M
Suggested Literacy Strategies: The main idea would be a good strategy to use for this book! By the end of the story, the kids should be able to come up with the “big idea” the author is trying to convey to the reader.
Description: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfisher is a story about one of the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean- Rainbow Fish. Rainbow Fish has scales that are sparking silver. Despite Rainbow Fish’s beauty, she does not have any friends and is not happy. After realizing she is extremely lonely, Rainbow Fish decides that giving away some of her scales to the other fish can’t be that bad. Soon after giving away most of her scales, Rainbow Fish only had one scale left. All the fish played together again and liked Rainbow Fish.
Alli Clare
Title: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. by Judith Viorst
Citation: Viorst, J. (1972). Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. New York, New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Description: This book tells the story of Alexander and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He begins to tell his story as soon as he wakes up until the moment he goes to sleep. Alexander explains all the things that go wrong from not getting a prize in his cereal box to not being Paul’s best friend anymore.
Reading Level: Grade: 3.6, DRA: 28, Guided Reading: L
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Summarizing. This book has great sequencing and students can learn to take the order of what happens to Alexander and pick some of the important aspects of his story.
Kayleigh Shaw
Book: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Citation: Goble, Paul. (1978). The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. New York: Bradbury Press.
Reading Level: DRA- 28; Guided Reading- M; Grade Level- 4.7
Description: This book is about a Native American girl who has a special connection with and love for horses. When a storm comes and drives the horses off, the girl goes with them. She is thrilled to live among the wild horses but is brought back home years later when she is found. Her loving parents allow her to continue living with the horses because they can see how sad she is without them. Every year the girl pays a visit to her parents bringing the gift of a colt with her until one year when she herself turns into a horse and is officially one with the horses.
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Imaging would be a great strategy for this book because there are many scenes that would be easy to imagine, such as the storm and the horses all stampeding away. Also, after the girl is taken back home by the hunters, students can predict what they think will happen.
Gianna Seidler
Book: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Citation: Fox, M. (1984). Wilfird Gordon McDonald Partridge. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller Book Publishers.
Reading Level: DRA: 24; Guided Reading: K; Grade Level: 3.4
Description: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge tells the story of a young boy, Wilfrid, who lives next door to a retirement home. In this home lives a bunch of unique people, all of whom have become an acquaintance. However, his favorite elderly person is Miss Nancy, such fondness rooted in the fact that she also has four names. One afternoon, Wilfrid overheard people talking about Miss Nancy, claiming that she has lost her memory. After searching and discovering the meaning of a "memory," Wilfrid gathers us his own memories for Miss Nancy to have, as he believes this is the solution to bringing back Miss Nancy's. After seeing and handling Wilfrid's memories, Miss Nancy uses them to find and share her own, resulting in an even stronger bond between the two.
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Because this story has a powerful overall message about friendship, main idea would serve as a great literacy strategy to accompany this story. As students work to decode the big idea the author is trying to convey, they will leave the story with a greater appreciation for the value of friendship, as well as its uniqueness, while also learning how to determine such a message.
Erin Jackson
Book: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Citation: Barrett, J. (1978). Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. New York, NY: Atheneum.
Reading Level: DRA: 28, Guided Reading: M, Grade Level: 3.2
Description: Grandpa tells the story of a town called Chewandswallow, where food and drinks fell from the sky. There are no supermarkets because the people just ate whatever came down. Everything is going fine and the people are happy, until the portions of food get larger and fall faster. The townspeople get scared and leave the town of Chewandswallow to escape from the weather. They build a new town and start a new life, where they rely on the supermarket, rather than the weather, for food.
Suggested Literacy Strategies: Predicting would be a good comprehension strategy to teach with this book because students can easily use context clues, the pictures, and their prior knowledge to predict what is going to happen to the characters. In addition, students can summarize the important parts in this book. They can particularly focus on the problem and the solution because these features are relatively clear in this story.
Lauren Masco
Book: Paul Revere's Ride
Citation: Longfollow, H.W. (1990). Paul revere's ride. INew York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.
Reading Level: DRA: 38 Guided Reading: P Grade Level: 5.1
Description: This narrative is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic poem broken down and illustrated to be understood by a younger audience. It follows the story of Paul Revere's epic ride to alert the villagers the British are coming.
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Summarizing would be an appropriate strategy for this book. At times it can get hard to follow because it is written in a poem format, so it would be good for students to focus on the important moments in the book to summarize. Focusing on summarizing will help them better follow along and grasp the important details.
Megan Garlette
Book: Shortcut by Donald Crews
Citation: Crews, D. (1992). Shortcut. New York, NY: Green Willow Books.
Description: This short children’s book is about a group of children on their way home late in the day. They decide to take a shortcut home along the train tracks. However the children do not know the train schedule at the time. They look and listen for a train, but do not hear one so they continue on the tracks. Suddenly the children hear the train, and must jump into the dangerous grounds around the tracks. No one is hurt, but this frightening experience keeps the children from ever taking that shortcut again.
Reading Level: grades K-2, DRA: 18-20, Guided Reading: J
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Students can use the theme comprehension strategy with this book. The book is about a very important lesson that the children in the story learn. Students could benefit from the experiences of the character and can learn from those important lessons. It would be easy for students to practice finding mini-themes and combining them with this text.
Margaret Molloy
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By Eric Carle
Suggested Grade Level: K-1
Citation: Carle, E. (1991). The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Scholastic.
Summary: Eric Carle takes readers through a hungry caterpillar’s journey to becoming a butterfly. The book follows the life cycle of this hungry caterpillar as it eats and eats.
Suggested Literacy Strategy: The teacher could use predicting with this book because the students may be aware of what happens to a caterpillar throughout its life (turns into a butterfly).
Christina Marino
Title: The Polar Express
Citation: Allsburg, C.V., (1985). The Polar Express. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Reading Level: Grade Level: 4.9; DRA: 30-34; Guided Reading Level: N
Description: This book describes how a young boy boards train that is leaving for the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He describes his journey to the North Pole and how he gets the chance to meet Santa. Santa gives the boy one of the reindeer’s bell as the first gift of Christmas. However, on the way home the boy looses the bell. On Christmas morning the next day, the boy finds the bell under the tree and he realizes that only those who believe in Santa can hear the sound of the bell.
Literacy Strategy: The summary strategy would be great to use for this book. Summarizing can help the students recognize the important events and details of the story.
Cynthia Antunes
Title: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Citation: Bemelmans, Ludwig. (1998). Madeline. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Reading Level: DRA Level: 24 Guided Reading: K Grade Level Equivalent: 2.9
Description: The book, Madeline, is a classic narrative. Madeline lives in an orphanage with eleven other little girls. One night, Madeline is in pain and taken to the hospital, where the reader finds out she must have her appendix removed. The next day the other eleven girls come to visit Madeline, bringing treats and gifts. Madeline even shows off her “cool” scar. The same night Madeline returns, the other eleven girls are crying because they want their appendix removed so they can get gifts and a cool scar. This book is funny, a classic, and many children can relate to having surgery or being jealous of other children. Also, a discussion can begin about orphans. There are many reasons to read this book to students.
Suggested Literacy Strategy: Many comprehension strategies can be used with this book. However, since there are some many topics and concepts in this book, I think the strategy of finding the theme would be the best. As mentioned, students can talk about the issues and topics in the book to find the theme.
Tom Medvecky
Title: The Pinballs
Citation: Byars, Betsy. The Pinballs (1977).
Grade Level: 4-6
Description: The story is about three kids who come together to live at a foster home. They have all been through tough times either being beaten, abandoned or run over by an alcoholic father. They dub themselves the pinballs because all they do is bounce around life. Through the book they become more determined and capable of controlling their lives and no longer being pinballs.
Suggested Reading Strategy: This story has a lot of themes and main ideas. They stretch through the entire book and it is easy to lose track. A good strategy for comprehension is main ideas and sub ideas. Keeping track will allow students t ofocus on the big picture.
Jasmine Martin
Title: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Citation: Aardema, V. (1975). Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Reading Level: DRA:30-34; Guided Reading: N
Description: A retelling of a native African tale. A mosquito causes a chain reaction that ends in a baby owl getting killed. The Lion, King of the jungle questions various animals in the jungle about what happened only to end up back at the mosquito. Everyone wants the mosquito to be punished, near by in hiding, the mosquito hears everything and leaves the jungle, only to get swatted by a person for buzzing in his ear.
Suggested Reading Strategy: Predicting is a good strategy to use for this book. The story has a similar pattern throughout the book so students should be able to make good predictions of what will happen next.
Debra Szubrowski
Title: Mail Harry to the Moon
Citation: Harris, Robie H. (2008) Mail Harry to the Moon. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Reading Level: DRA: 12, Guided Reading:G
Description: This narrative is about a boy who is jealous of his new baby brother Harry because he gets a lot of attention. The boy gets mad because Harry took a bite out of his banana, chewed on his toy gorilla, sat on grandma’s lap etc. Every time Harry makes him mad, the boy wants to get rid of him some way. He wanted to flush Harry down the toilet, put him in a zoo or mail him to the moon. After he wished to mail Harry to the moon, Harry went missing. The boy realized this and eventually began to miss Harry. He went to the moon to bring him back. Suggested Comprehension Strategy: Theme would be a good strategy to use for this book because it contains a key message or moral. Students could think about common ideas and sub themes and combine them to find the main message.
Book: Curious George
Citation: Ray, H.A. (1969). Curious George. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin
Reading Level: DRA 24. Guided Reading K
Description: This book is about whenm Goerge si first captured by the man with a yellow hat and taken to the zoo. He gets into a whole bunch of trouble and the fire department even has to come save him.
Suggested Reading Strategy: For this book I would use the prediction or summarizing comprehension strategies. There’s a really good story line with lots of problems and adventures that students could summarize. Also since George gets into so much trouble, students could try to predict what mess he’s going to get into next.